If Not a Rose
by WipingAllOut
Summary: A serious attempt at such an odd pairing, Julius and Selena. A story of romance between these two unique beauties, despite their differing personalities.


**Author's Note:** Hey! I worked my butt off to submit this to a contest. It was challenging to do but it was a fun experience. The hardest part was Selena's characterization. I wanted to keep her in character but because she never turned up in my game and because there isn't much information online about her it took a lot of guesswork. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"My my, that _is_ a misfortunate situation you got yourself in." Pale fingers gently loosened their hold on the letter. A much tanner hand took the paper, crumpling it slightly as she did so.

"You're telling me. What do you think I should do?" Selena glared at the creased paper in her hand. Worry lines invaded the normally smooth area between her heavily made up eyes.

"You know them better than me, hun. First off, do you believe the threat is serious? It could just be a bluff." The man used his hand that was previously holding the letter to support his head instead. With his clothed elbow securely resting on the dining table he was sitting at, his gaze stayed fixated on the woman in front of him.

"I'm... not sure. Let's assume they are being serious. What should I do?"

"If they're threatening you they don't deserve your company, in my opinion of course." He grinned at his clarification before his lips shifted together again. "But the situation is different because these are your parents, not just someone you met." His lips curved into a pout and he looked away from Selena, his sudden slumping gaining her attention. "Of course, if it was my parents we were talking about I would go visit them even if the threat was trying to keep me away. It's unfortunate that your case is so different. I would be ecstatic if they threatened me for not visiting them."

Selena mimicked Julius' aversion of eye contact, also looking towards the wooden floor instead. With only the ticking of the clock being heard throughout the room it was abruptly interrupted by the sound of heavy chair legs scraping across the ground. The woman's head shot up to look at Julius. One of her eyebrows raised, wondering what he was doing while the rest of her facial structure was dull as ever. Her lack of amusement was met by another large grin, his whiter than white teeth being fully shown off.

"Oh dear. I shouldn't act so grim when I have such a beautiful guest visiting!" He swiftly made his way from the table to the kitchen area of the same room, his bizarrely colored golden and white boots clomping. "I haven't even offered you a drink. I'll make us both some hot chocolate before you try to refuse."

Selena let out a deep chuckle. "I would never refuse someone waiting on me. In fact, I insist that you continue to do so."

"Point taken." Julius began to make preparations for their drinks, currently heating up some water over the stove. "I'm oh so curious - why did you come to me with such a personal letter? Surely there are others that would relate to your situation better."

"My parents are threatening to throw out my clothes! My CLOTHES, Julius! None of these hicks could get an idea on how much designer labeled outfits are worth, especially when they aren't in production anymore."

"These hicks?" Julius' pleasant smile turned into a stern expression, making eye contact to make sure she caught onto his displeasure. Her outer expression was unchanged while her stomach was twisting, surprised that such a seemingly nice guy gave her an unwanted look.

She chose to defend what she said to feel her pride as kept. Her head titled upwards automatically as she spoke. "What? Is there a problem?"

"I happen to be friends with those 'hicks', darling." His body faced towards her as well now, no longer looking at the stove. His red eyes pierced through her, hard. Not only was her stomach attempting to squirm away, her heart was beginning to ache under the pressure as well.

"I simply meant that their level of fashion wasn't anywhere near yours or mine."

A whistling noise began to sound from the kettle. Julius' expression softened before he went to tend to the steaming metal pot. He was so focused on serving the drinks that he didn't catch a sigh of relief that Selena let out. Soon, he set a mug next to her while keeping a firm grip on his own.

"Here you go. Be careful, it's hot. You wouldn't want to burn those luscious lips."

She smirked as she carefully sipped on the hot chocolate. "Flattery? You aiming to get some pieces from my priceless wardrobe?"

"Not at all, dear. I was only commenting on the true beauty I see before me." He smirked as well in response to her enjoyment. "If they're priceless pieces you're going to go get them before your family tosses them into the ocean, correct?"

"Yes, that was my plan."

She dropped her mug to the table and stared at it, noting all the beautiful shades of violet the mug held. While it was mainly a dark, rich purple, lavender flowers were sparsely seen in contrast. The stems and leaves of the plant held such vivid movement as the colors blended into the background. Despite her now solemn thoughts, seeing that Julius had such good taste couldn't help but cheer her up a little.

"I've already checked the boat schedule to Toucan Island. The earliest chance I have is on the same day as the Starry Night Festival. Knowing how impatient my father can be with me if I don't take that ride he'll think that I'm not coming at all."

"Are you sure there wouldn't be enough time to go on the trip and come back before the festival starts?"

"I'm sure there would be. My parents however are ridiculous to deal with. I expect it to be a nightmare. By the time I'd get back from such an awful day I wouldn't be in the mood to enjoy it."

"Mhm, mhm. So, who are you going to the festival with? Luke?"

Selena let out a loud, bitter sounding laugh. "Hmph! He wouldn't shut up about his plans to take out what's-her-face."

"Who?"

"That farmer girl."

"Renee?"

"No no, the other one."

"Angela."

"Right, her. He tells me that she's the best at making banana pudding ever or some crap like that."

Selena took a large gulp of hot chocolate to distract herself from thoughts of stupid Luke and stupid banana pudding. This resulted in her almost choking on it. She gulped the hot liquid down quickly and willed herself not to cough, not in the mood to feel embarrassment over something so trivial. Flinching a bit from her now burnt throat, she roughly set down the mug again.

Julius frowned at hearing this news. He knew that for someone even as tough as Selena being rejected still drew deep wounds. "Well, he always was a little dim. It's obvious now, seeing as how he gave up an attractive lady for something meaningless as dessert. I take it you're going with one of the other guys?"

"No. I planned on going alone, actually."

"What?" Julius jumped up from his chair, causing the serene atmosphere to be interrupted by noise again. Her eyebrows lowered and she bit the inside of her mouth in irritation to such an overreaction. "Darling, darling, darling! You cannot go to such festivals alone when they are intended to be romantic."

"There's nothing wrong with going by myself. That's just your opinion. I don't see any rules against it."

"If that's the way you feel then you're missing the whole point!" Julius shook his head in disbelief as he looked in her direction. This only irritated Selena further.

"I'm not missing the point! You are! I can still go to the festival with or without anyone."

"Sure you _can_ go to the festival with or without anyone but would you enjoy it either way?"

"I-"

"For someone who expresses such artistic, complex, passionate energy in their work it's a surprise that you can't grasp such a similar concept."

Selena's cheeks grew hot with anger. Her voice was becoming more quick to speak and louder in attempt to overpower him. "Hey! Don't say I can't gr-"

He returned the powerful energy. His upbeat yet smooth voice grew even more higher pitched as it was raised, although not to the point where it would sound laughable. "Can you not imagine the romance that would bloom between two people in such a setting? Winter nights are perfect for star viewing, hun! It would be just you, your lover and the universe of limitless stars!"

Selena's body began to feel uncomfortable again at how intense he was looking towards her. She knew she was losing her argument when she paused long enough to give him time to continue his explanation with zero resistance from her.

"The cold weather would also assist in adding the ideal situation. The man would politely offer his jacket to help keep his date comfy. His scent, his body heat, his warm kindness would radiate throughout your entire body."

She felt the hair on her arms stand when it was no longer describing a nameless date in general, but her directly. She opened her mouth in preparation to counter but couldn't form a coherent sentence in her head. Julius took pride in her defeat and smiled. "Oh ho, cat got your tongue?"

"No, but I'm sure you wish you had." She let her moist tongue glide across her lips in a slow motion, making sure he caught her action in hopes of him forgetting the victory he had over her. Despite how teasing in a manner that could be considered inappropriate was normal for her, she felt a tug of discomfort while doing it this time. Now the hairs on her neck were beginning to stand up as well.

The man let out a chuckle before smoothing his purple hair back, shaking his head from side to side while smiling. "I could always tell how you were a natural vixen." He looked at his empty mug and went to throw it in the sink, continuing to talk with his back to her. "And you know, if you still need a date for the festival I'd be willing to take you."

Selena debated on whether or not she should be offended by being called a vixen before her mind was impaled with the idea of going on a date with Julius. "What? You lecture me on romance and you can't get a date yourself?" She laughed with enthusiasm, much to his dismay.

"H-Hey! It's not my fault if old-fashion romance doesn't interest anyone on the island. It's unfortunate, really. The bachelorettes have no idea on what they're missing."

"Eh, you don't need them anyway, Julius. I don't see why you stress romance so much when you're obviously fine on your own."

He turned around and let out a sad sigh before smiling again. "Perhaps in your eyes I don't need it but..." He walked right next to the chair she was sitting at, still smiling despite her evident confusion. "Could you stand up for a moment, sweetie? There's something you need to know."

She didn't budge from her seat, not understanding his strange behavior. Selena held such an independence, pride and distrust of others. She's the first to assume that odd behavior would be to set up a prank.

"Please."

Selena hesitated again but once the seriousness in his voice hit her, her motivation to hold her pride broke. As she stood up a frustrated huff could be heard. "Fine, fine. What is i-"

In one swift motion Julius had laid his hands on the sides of her arms, holding her firmly in place. Selena felt her arms tense and she let out a gasp. "What do you think you're doing?"

"There's no need to be fearful, precious."

"Hey! Who said I was scared?" She glared at him and felt her own heart pound much harder than usual. Her brain commanded her to smack him away but despite her intent on following that plan, she couldn't convince her muscles to resist his grip.

The look on his face remained unmoved despite her reaction. "I apologize if I'm making you uncomfortable but please listen to what I'm about to say." Her intimidating expression stayed directed at him but her arms began to loosen up.

"I'm incomplete without a woman in my arms. Of course, I carry on daily life and seem peachy keen." He let out a quiet laugh. "Life won't wait for me after all. I do my best to enjoy it but I'm constantly reminded of what's missing."

Selena's anger subsided, a frown on her face instead. "Why are you telling me this?"

"My offer to escort you to the festival is serious." The gap between them got even smaller when Julius leaned forward. "My feelings for you are serious." His voice lowered to a whisper with his last breath, close enough for Selena to feel the heat caress her cheeks.

Her insides were dancing with as much vigor as her feet did in her work. The calm, amused front she had put on in response to his confession was close to breaking. Him admitting her feelings for her, despite that part of her ego-filled mind convinced her that she should be getting love letters from everyone, came as a surprise. Sure, she had a nice rack and other likable features but she knew that her personality was in the rough.

"Is that so? Even though I'm plenty desirable to men I have to admit that I didn't expect you to fall for me." Selena smirked, trying to make the most out of the attention despite growing more and more nervous.

"You really didn't expect it?" Julius backed up a little so they could talk without constantly breathing in each other's faces. His grip on her arms became more relaxed as well.

"You call everyone cute names and try and flatter the whole town. I didn't see anything special with you doing it with me."

"I came to see you perform every night at the bar! Didn't you think it was odd that I'd always be at the closest table to you?"

"I thought you just liked your cocktails."

A few laughs were heard from him as he spoke again. "That's right. Hmm, I suppose I wasn't upfront enough before." He quickly pulled Selena forward, causing her to trip. Julius wrapped his arms around her back in a rough manner. The fronts of their bodies were now squished together. "I won't make that mistake again. How do you feel about this?"

His voice was more husky once they were close, an unusual occurrence in Julius. Considering how intimate their position was, the harshness in his voice and how locked together their eyes were, Selena could practically hear sirens going off in her head given how unexpected all of this was to her.

Damn.

She didn't want to admit it. She REALLY didn't want to admit it. What if it was still a trick? She'd become the laughing stock of the town! Her heart was now beating at such a fast pace. Sweat from her neck was starting to form around her black, fluffy choker. As she thought she had let her weight still be carried by that man.

Ridiculous.

To her misfortune she could not deny her attraction to him in her mind. He was the only person she had ever met that had interested her as much as him. Sure, she enjoyed having Luke and other guys around the area crush on or admire her but none of them could give quite the thrill Julius had proven he was capable of sharing.

"I'll allow you to take me to the Starry Night Festival. However..." Selena pushed off the crotch of his bell bottoms to regain her balance. "You shouldn't be so rough with me. Aren't I supposed to be a delicate flower or something?"

Julius was momentarily stunned from her spontaneous action. A natural shade of red was growing on his face, overpowering the pink blush he had put on earlier. Not only that but she had actually accepted his proposal. A sly smile grew on her face, a sense of success had in his bewilderment. "Oh? Who's got whose tongue now?"

He chuckled lightly as his mind was finally calm enough to understand her words. "I wouldn't say you're a sensitive flower that needs constant attention. To be precise I would imagine you as... a cactus."

"That's not romantic at all! So, once you got my agreement to go with me you're gonna be mean?"

"N-No! Of course not! Do you really think I would be such a lowly person?" Julius frowned at the thought of his beloved thinking so poorly of him.

"No, no. I just can't see how being a cactus is supposed to be a good thing. Roses are so much nicer."

"Again, you portray such wonderful knowledge in your work but miss something so alike."

"Just explain it to me."

"Impatient, are we?"

"You're just lucky that I haven't smacked you over saying something most would consider insensitive."

"Charming as ever, Selena." Julius spoke with such enthusiasm and with a bright smile. It was impossible for her to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. "I will explain though. You'll see the positives soon enough."

He walked away from her and over towards the window of his home. The coldness from outside was creeping in from it, causing him to feel a mild chill be sent throughout his body. From a glance you could tell it was the middle of winter. The once green grass was covered in inches of powdery snow. He had looked out to try and gain inspiration on how to explain his interpretation he shared with Selena but the freezing environment Julius observed wasn't helping him out. He scratched at his face with one of his ringed fingers as he unknowingly licked his lips out of concentration. The unusual looking man felt there was something he was looking at that would spark an idea in his head.

"Plan on explaining it today?" Selena asked, interrupting his thought process.

"Yes, yes. Just give me a minute to think of how to word it most eloquently."

He continued to look out the window, this time noticing the large pine trees off into the distance. Despite snow, wind and ice they remained undamaged. With just a short examination he could tell that if he had grasped onto the thin yet prickly needles, sap would stick to his fingers. The needles would stay securely onto the tree even if he roughhoused it. Thinking of that finally struck the cord within in his mind to start his clarification.

"Endurance."

"Hmm?" She let out a small yawn and stretched her arms out.

"A cactus shows such endurance, such resistance, even independence. It can withstand the hottest of summers with ease. Lack of water that would make numerous plants die could be withstood."

Julius turned away from the window and back at Selena, trying to tell if she understood or not. Her eyes were unfocused, seemingly occupied with thinking.

"Do I really come off as having that much strength? Still, why not something like a rose? They're breathtaking to look at and have defense in their thorns."

"Tch! That's so boring! Roses are common to compare women to, cactuses are not. Even if someone was pricked by the thorns of a rose they could maneuver around them. If they couldn't get around them there's a chance they would pick the rose anyway as the apparent meaning of immortal love that the person craves would be worth it!"

Julius breathed erratically at the end of his sentence, not expecting it to be so longwinded. Selena shook her head at how much energy he put into his latest discussion.

"You give people too much credit. They're going to pick a rose because they think it's pretty, not because it's going to guarantee them immortal love or whatever."

"Well, let's say that's true-"

"It is true! Not many people are a romantic like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment." A grin grew on his face and Selena rolled her eyes. He laughed and continued talking. "Whether most people would or wouldn't go through that trouble for a rose I believe they're more likely to pick one than pick a cactus." An irritated glare grew on her face and he chuckled nervously. "Please, let me fully explain."

"Mhm..." Selena sat back down at the table again, resting her head on it. A twinge of worry shot through Julius as he did not want her to find his tale uninteresting or insulting. He quickly continued.

"A cactus has lots of protection, at least more than that of a rose. Only those that are patient can get close enough to throughly understand its unique characteristics. Once I was able to see that, and I'm sure anyone else who would be able to see that would appreciate it more than any ol' flower."

"Well then, what are those unique characteristics that are supposed to make me feel complimented?"

"I just explained the endurance aspect of it. They're also just as beautiful, if not more so than popular flowers. They have flowers of their own that bloom you know. It may look peculiar since it isn't growing off of an average stem but that only adds more spice to it."

Selena nodded and smiled. Beauty was what she wanted to hear about in herself. She flipped a large curl of hair away from her face, her posture shifting back into an upright position. "So, you would prefer a cactus over a rose?"

"Of course my darling! Be proud of your features." Julius took that moment to work his way behind Selena, moving the tips of his fingers onto the top of her neck. Her shoulders shivered at the unexpected contact and Julius responded with a smile. "Ah, it's hard to get close to you with that chair in the way. Why don't you turn around a little?"

The backs of the dining chairs had numerous details engraved in the wood. With just a look you would never appreciate the craftsmanship that had gone into these chairs. Instead of traditional, straight lines of wood going up the chair it was instead carved into shapes you would find in nature.

Sunflowers were the main feature of the fancy design. Instead of lines the stems of the plant is what worked its way up. They were not perfectly upright but instead had minor curves, much like the real flower. Indentations and thin creases ran through the stems as well, adding to the realism. Each petal on the flowers had their own unique markings that further proved the effort that was put into every aspect. A few leaves were placed erratically along the stems. Even though they veered from the main structure they would not poke you if you happened to lean back in the chair. Monarch butterflies also decorated the object. At least, that's what species they looked to be judging by the pattern in the wings.

In addition to the exquisite shapes in the wood the colors were also unusual. Instead of one, solid color throughout the entire chair each feature seemed stained a different color. The stems and leaves that went up were a normal brown and made up a majority of the chair. The centers of the flowers were darker, the petals a more light and yellow shade of brown. The butterflies were the most complex in color, having three different shades that all differed from the base brown. They looked similar to their real life counterpart. An orangey shade of brown painted the center of the wings, while black along with a few specks of white colored the outer portion.

While Julius had other nice looking furniture the chairs overpowered all else in terms of quality. They looked more like pieces that belonged in a museum, not someone's home. Perhaps they belonged in the family and just happened to get passed down to him.

Selena shifted her position so that she was sitting in the chair sideways. With nothing in the way now, Julius began to massage her shoulders with his thin fingers. "How does this feel, darling?"

"G-Good." Selena felt her cheeks heat up when she realized that she stuttered while talking. It was embarrassing to her that she let a small action get herself so flustered. Julius continued to escalate her discomfort by nuzzling his face against the bun her fiery locks were put up in.

"Wonderful! I'm enjoying myself as well." He continued to squeeze her shoulders while nuzzling into her hair, the clean scent of it causing a blissful sigh to escape him. Sneakily, he worked his hands higher up onto her shoulder until they reached the poofy collar around her neck. He tried to take it off discretely but the clasp opened with a loud popping noise, instantly alerting Selena to his plan. As her head whipped up to face him the collar dropped into her lap.

"What are you doing?" Strands of hair that came loose from her bun were sticking to his smile, no doubt because of the peachy lipstick he wore. Noticing her hair on his face she let out an annoyed sigh as she pulled it off of him. "I see you're messing up my hair."

"Not on purpose, my dear." He chuckled gently as he ran one of his hands through her hair, trying to straighten it back out. Selena kept her eyes locked onto him as he pet her. Despite her discontentment he seemed to easily look past it and focus on fixing his mistake. Most people got so upset over her pointing things out that she had a problem with. To see Julius take her attitude so well had a humbling effect on her. When he noticed her silently staring at him he only grinned wider. After a few moments he let the hand he was working with to fall on her shoulder.

Their chests gently expanding and contracting to breathe was the only movement between the two young adults as they stared into each other. The lack of talking between the two while being so close could appear awkward to some but here it wasn't the case. Selena had a small smile on her face as she looked at her crush from upside down. Feeling his soft hands resting gently on her relaxed her body completely despite her earlier discomfort. Julius kept smiling, both of them taking joy in the current atmosphere. Eventually he let his eyes drift from his beloved to the table next to them. A thin sheet of paper that they were talking about when she first arrived at his house caught his eye.

"You know, I could go visit your parents with you."

"What? You don't have to do that, really." Selena's expression turned into a pout at the sudden offer.

"Why not? It would be no trouble, seeing as how hardly anyone works on festival days."

"It wouldn't be exciting for you. You would enjoy your time better here."

Julius scoffed at such a statement. "Hardly." He leaned closer to her face, her personal space invaded yet again. This time she didn't tense up however and closed her eyes, expecting his lips on hers. After a few moments of it failing to happen she opened her eyes, only to feel a moistness brushing against her bare neck instead. Julius kissed her before he removed them, his breath continuing to touch her as he spoke.

"I would prefer to be with you the entire day. Besides, your parents are known for treating their guests well. How could they pick on my Selena when I'm around? It would be rude of them to do so."

She let out a soft sigh at the feeling of his warm breath brushing against her skin. She closed her eyes and kept her pout, thinking over what he said before sharing her thoughts. "I guess you're right. They do tend to be nicer to me when we have company."

"So, I can come?"

"Hmm. I have to introduce you to them eventually. Yeah, you can come. Just behave yourself. I'm not letting you get so close to me when they're around." Her voice was stern, which could easily imply displeasure at inviting him to her trip. Julius seemed completely unfazed by this.

"Hee hee. I think when you first came to discuss your predicament you would have never considered me coming on the trip, no?"

Selena sighed and turned her face away from his, annoyed at the proud tone in his voice. "What are you being so cocky about? It's not a big deal."

"Oh, but it is!" He stood upright again and spun around to be in front of the direction she was facing. "I get to spend a whole day with my love. It's like a mini-vacation! A honeymoon even!"

"What- What the hell, Julius? It certainly isn't a honeymoon! You aren't to lay a finger on me when we're with my parents!" Her voice was laced with distress, amusing to the man she was talking to. Seeing his joyful smirk only caused the stressful feeling in her to increase. "Do you understand?"

He tried to hold back a laugh but failed, the resulting chuckle embarrassing Selena even more. "I understand. I won't lay even the smallest of touches upon your body while in the presence of your parents."

"...Thank you."

While Selena busied her mind with trying to calm herself down Julius set his eyes on the letter on the table again. It was funny how her parents had ultimately drawn her closer to someone they probably wouldn't approve of. Heck, whose parents would approve of their daughter falling for someone who came off with the femininity of a woman. That didn't matter to him. What mattered was that she was willing to give him a chance. Someone whose beauty and strength were unmatched by any woman he had ever laid eyes on. He wouldn't hesitate to give the world to her in any way he could.

"Julius."

He snapped out of his thoughts and onto his love, seeing that she had gotten over his previous comments. "Yes, my lady?"

"It looked like you were thinking about something." She spoke softer than normal and her smile lacked the taunt it usually portrayed.

"I was." He bent close to her and before she could ask what it was, continued to explain. "I was thinking about how foolish I was for not making my feelings clear sooner."

Selena regained her sneer and was about to interrupt him when his lips abruptly crashed against hers. Her eyes widened, completely shocked with his actions. Julius' determined, intense stare into her own eyes caused herself to melt into his kiss, his roughness causing her to lean back. In the moment of surprise she forgot that she was sitting on the chair in an abnormal position and that there was nothing supporting her back. After leaning too far and remembering that she wasn't sitting on the chair properly it was too late for her to recover. As her lips left his she let out a sharp gasp and shut her eyes tight, expecting to feel intense pain any moment. Instead, she heard the shuffling of heavy sounding shoes and a strong arm around her shoulders. Another arm holding the undersides of her knees soon followed. Julius kept a serious expression on his face as he pulled her close to his chest.

"Don't ever forget that I'm always here for you, okay? I know you're strong enough on your own but you don't always have to depend on just yourself. Just come to me like you did today. Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection after all."

Selena refused to meet with strong eye contact and mumbled to herself in embarrassment at hearing his devotion. "Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection? Where did you get that? The back of a cereal box?"

"H-Hey! Of course not! It's true! If I wasn't here just now you would've hurt yourself."

"If you hadn't tried sucking my face off like a vacuum cleaner I wouldn't have fallen." As Julius struggled to think of a comeback Selena began to squirm in his grasp. "Can you let me down now?"

He did the opposite of what she requested, pulling her tighter against him. "Never."

"Julius..." Annoyed, she struggled even more which caused his arms to constrict her tighter.

"Never ever ever. You're stuck with me, my beautiful Selena." He looked directly into her eyes, another dazzling smile prominent on his face as he did so. "Now, let's spend our time preparing for the trip. First we should tell each other more about ourselves."

She stopped squirming and paused to contemplate his expression, then turned her head away and looked towards the floor. "You mean you expect me to carry out a conversation with you like this?"

"Yes. Come on, there's no time to waste fretting over details." Julius paused for a moment, his mind lost in dozens of thoughts revolving around his treasured person. He sat down on the chair Selena almost fell off of, shifting his weight to make sure they were both comfortable. "Don't worry, I'll talk about myself too. We wouldn't want to be stepping on each other's toes from ignorance during such an important trip."

Selena continued to keep her head turned away. It was almost too much for her to be held so close by someone she would have never imagined to be with that same morning. She felt an unexpected comfort in his warm arms however so she tried her best to not let her insecurities shine through. On top of that, he was so vague - what did he want her to say? "In that case you go first."

Julius watched as she looked back towards him and put an arm around his shoulders. A smile he had never witnessed before on her was snug on her face. Despite her competitiveness, Selena was absolutely beaming. There was a smile so wide that her cheeks were puffed out in pure ecstasy. He couldn't help but be stunned by seeing such a foreign emotion on the equally exotic woman. A similar smile was planted on his face, despite his shock. The two of them both understood each other's warm grins and basked in their connection. Selena's eyes expressed an affectionate gaze towards the man holding her securely. Her body was completely tranquil as she lounged in his arms. Despite having the pressure of her full weight in his arms, Julius felt similarly relaxed. Eventually though, he felt the need to break their comfortable silence with what he intended on discussing in the first place. He sincerely hoped that this treasured moment of his would be the start of great beginnings for himself and his outstanding love.

"Alright. Since I already know about your family, let me start off by telling you about mine..."


End file.
